Novel I.D. cards

ABSTRACT

Laminated documents such as I.D. cards using a phosphorescent material as a verification or validation pattern.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of the Invention

This invention relates to laminated documents such as I.D. cards andmore particularly to security features for such documents.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Laminated documents such as I.D. cards essentially comprise a card ordocument usually containing information relating to the bearer andgenerally, a portion of the information is in the form of a photographof the bearer. Normally, the card is protected by a plastic sheetmaterial such as by lamination of the card to a plastic sheet materialor, as is usually the case, by lamination of the card between plasticsheet materials. I.D. cards have many uses and their uses areincreasing. For example, they may be used to establish a person'sauthorization to conduct certain activities (driver's licenses) or theirauthorization to have access to certain areas (employee I.D. cards) ortheir authorization to engage in credit transactions (I.D. creditcards). In view of their widespread uses, especially in commercialtransactions, such as cashing checks, credit purchases, etc., it isimportant that the person relying on the I.D. card to identify thebearer have maximum assurance that the I.D. card has not been alteredand/or that the I.D. card is not a counterfeit.

A great deal of ingenuity has been employed to provide this desireddegree of assurance. For example, specialized adhesive systems andlamination techniques have been developed to prevent or discouragealteration of I.D. cards. These systems and techniques are designed toachieve a high degree of bonding efficiency between a surface of thecard and any plastic sheet material bonded to it. Certain adhesivesystems, for example, can provide what is known in the art as a"security seal". A "security seal" is best explained by describing whathappens if an attempt is made to pull a plastic sheet material from thesurface of a card bonded to the plastic. If a "security seal" exists,all or at least portions of the adhered surface will be removed from thecard together with the plastic sheet material. Adhesives or adhesivesystems which can provide "security seals" for I.D. card elements aredescribed in such Patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,439; U.S. Pat. No.3,614,839 and in commonly assigned copending Applications Ser. No.361,232 filed May 17, 1973 and Ser. No. 654,220 filed Feb. 2, 1976. Allof these Patents and Applications are expressly incorporated here intheir entirety.

Ideally, a "security seal" is designed to prevent alteration of or anyfurther use of the card as well as any further use of the plasticadhered to it. Accordingly, a "security seal" is normally establishedbetween the information-bearing surface of the card or document and theplastic. Under such circumstances, removal of the plastic should alsoremove substantial portions of the information-bearing surface of thecard to render the card unuseable for alteration purposes. Likewise, ifextensive portions of the so removed information-bearing surface remainadhered to the plastic sheet material, the plastic cannot be reusedwithout employing specialized techniques to remove the adhered portions.A "security seal" is considered to provide an excellent capability forpreventing or effectively discouraging alteration of documents such asI.D. cards and they are employed extensively as a primaryanti-alteration security feature in I.D. cards.

The counterfeiting of documents such as I.D. cards involving as it doesthe fabrication and issuance of I.D. cards by persons not authorized todo so presents additional and different security problems to the art.Perhaps the most effective way to prevent counterfeiting would involvestrict control over the possession of the materials and equipmentinvolved in the fabrication of I.D. cards. In most cases, however, thisapproach would be impractical and most likely impossible. For example,too many of the materials involved are commercially available and usedin other applications. Instead, the art's response to the counterfeitingproblem has involved the integration of "verification features" withI.D. cards to evidence their authenticity. The best known of these"verification features" involve signatures such as the signature of theone authorized to issue the I.D. card or the signature of the bearer.Other "verification features" have involved the use of watermarks,fluorescent materials, validation patterns or markings and polarizingstripes among others. These "verification features" are integrated withI.D. cards in various ways and they may be visible or invisible in thefinished card. If invisible, they can be detected by viewing the featureunder conditions which render it visible. Details relating to the use of"verification features" in I.D. cards can be found in such Patents asU.S. Pat. No. 2,984,030; U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,826; U.S. Pat. No.3,332,775; U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,998; U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,948; U.S. Pat.No. 3,827,726 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,956.

All of the verification features discussed above have achieved a measureof success in preventing or discouraging counterfeiting. Duplication ofthese feature(s) apparently presents an obstacle or problem ofsufficient difficulty to discourage would-be-counterfeiters. However, Incertain respects, some features are considered to fall short in terms ofthe idealized performance characteristics desired. For example,signatures, validation marks or validation patterns may be duplicated byphotographic techniques. Also, "verification features" involvingfluorescent materials or polarizing stripes require that particulardevices or conditions be available to detect the feature. Moreover, manyof the features are expensive or specialized equipment, techniques ormaterials are required to install the feature in the finished card. Inany event, there is a continuing need in the art for novel "verificationfeatures" which can provide laminated documents of improved overallsecurity. This invention is addressed to that need and presents to theart improved laminated documents comprising a novel "verificationfeature" which closely conforms to the idealized performancecharacteristics desired for such features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, the invention presents laminated documents having a novel"verification feature" provided by the integration of a phosphorescentmaterial, preferably a pattern of a phosphorescent pigment material,with the elements of the laminate. The preferred laminated documents ofthe present invention are I.D. cards having the pattern integrated witha bond or seal existing between the protective plastic sheet or film andthe card or document of the I.D. card. In the most preferred I.D. cardsof the invention, the pattern is integrated with a bond or seal existingbetween a protective plastic sheet or film and the information-bearingsurface of the card or document. The phosphorescent pigment materialsemployed in the practice of the present invention are those that emitvisible radiation when exposed to radiation within the visible region ofthe electromagnetic spectrum and continue to emit visible radiation, atleast for a short time, after such exposure.

The integration of a pattern of phosphorescent material with elements oflaminated documents presents to the art laminated documents of improvedsecurity. The pattern provides a novel and effective "verificationfeature" for documents such as I.D. cards which is relativelyinexpensive and can be integrated with I.D. cards with minimuminconvenience and without extensive modification of existing I.D.issuance systems or equipment or materials involved in producing I.D.cards. Moreover, the novel "verification feature" is one that cannot beeffectively reproduced by photographic techniques, nor are specializeddevices or conditions required to detect the feature. Finally, in theparticularly preferred I.D. cards of this invention, the novel"verification feature" can cooperate with "security seals" to provideI.D. cards of particularly improved overall security.

The advantages of the invention as well as details relating to thepractice of the invention will be better appreciated from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plane view of a plastic sheet having a printed pattern ofthe "verification feature" of the present invention.

FIG. 1A is an enlargement of the printed pattern of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet of FIG. 1 along lines2--2.

FIG. 3 is a plane view of a preferred card or document used in the I.D.cards of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of I.D. card laminating assembliesor envelopes having the "verification feature" of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plane view of an assembled I.D. card embodying a"verification feature" of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As mentioned, the present invention broadly involves the integration ofa phosphorescent material with laminated documents such as I.D. cards toprovide a novel verification feature for them. Accordingly, in thatbroad sense, the phosphorescent material can be integrated with the cardor document of the I.D. card such as by dispersing the material in or onat least one surface or surface layer of the card. Alternatively, thematerial could be integrated with a protective plastic sheet or film ofthe I.D. card by coating a pattern of the material on the plastic or bydispersing the material in the plastic and casting or forming sheets orlayers with the plastic dispersion. Such embodiments, however, are notpreferred. Instead, in the preferred embodiments of this invention, thephosphorescent material is integrated in the form of a predeterminedpattern with a bond or seal existing between elements of the I.D. card.This preferred embodiment will be better appreciated by reference to theFigures and initially by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a protective plastic laminar assembly for I.D.cards. The assembly shown as 10 comprises a plastic sheet 12 and anadhesive layer 14 having a printed pattern of a phosphorescent material16 applied to surface 15 of adhesive layer 14 so that the pattern 16 canbe integrated with a bond or seal existing between the plastic sheet anda card bonded to it. The application of pattern 16 to surface 15 oflayer 14 is preferred but the integration of pattern 16 with a bond orseal existing between the card and a plastic sheet can also be achievedby coating or printing pattern 16 on surface 13 of sheet 12. Also, someplastic sheet materials have an inherent adhesive capability (polyvinylchloride is an example) and in such instances, pattern 16 can be coateddirectly on a surface of such a sheet material. Accordingly, for thepurposes of this invention the phrase "integrated with a bond or seal"can be broadly defined to include those instances where pattern 16 canbe incorporated in or coated on an adhesive layer 14 or in a layer ofthe card or document or in the plastic sheet 12 bonded to the card byway of the adhesive layer(s). The preferred meaning of the phrase,however, defines those instances where pattern 16 is coated on thesurfaces of the card or plastic bonded to each other or coated on asurface of the adhesive layer(s) bonding these elements together andparticularly to those instances where pattern 16 is coated on thesurface of the adhesive layer bonded to the surface of the card.

Plastic sheet 12 is shown as a transparent sheet, and is preferably usedfor lamination to the information-bearing surface of a card or documentbut it could be bonded to the opposite surface of the card. Sheet 12 maybe made of any suitable rigid, semirigid or flexible plastic such as acellulose acetate butyrate, a cellulose triacetate, a polyvinylchloride, a polymerized polyethylene glycol ester, a polyolefin and/orthe other plastics conventionally used in the fabrication of I.D. cards.

Adhesive layer 14 can be any suitable pressure-sensitive adhesive,moisture activatable adhesive or heat-activatable adhesive employed inthe lamination of I.D. cards. Particularly preferred adhesives are thosethat can provide a "security seal" between plastic sheet 12 and theinformation-bearing surface of a card laminated to assembly 10.Especially preferred are those adhesives or adhesive systems that canprovide a "security seal" at the time of lamination between plasticsheet 12 and a wet information-bearing surface of a diffusion transferphotograph which is the preferred card or document involved in thelaminated documents of the present invention.

In the preferred practice of the invention, the phosphorescent materialis applied to surface 15 of adhesive layer 14 in a predetermined printedpattern. This can be easily accomplished by dispersing thephosphorescent material in a suitable medium and applying the dispersionto the surface of layer 14 by known printing methods such as silkscreening or gravure printing techniques. As already mentioned, thephosphorescent materials employed in the present invention are thosethat emit visible radiation when exposed to light and continue to emitradiation when no longer exposed. The continued emission (glowing) isbest observed by removing the material to darker surroundings.Accordingly, suitable phosphorescent materials employed in thisinvention are commercially available phosphor pigments, butphosphorescent zinc sulfides which are relatively inexpensive andparticularly effective are especially suitable.

The preferred dispersions for providing the printed patterns are thosecomprising a phosphorescent pigment material dispersed in a mediumwhich, on drying can provide a matrix or binder for the printed patterncapable of effectively holding or adhering the pattern to adhesive layer14. The matrix or binder providing material can comprise, for example,the same adhesive as the one used in adhesive layer 14 or a differentadhesive. Particularly preferred matrix providing materials are thosewhich can provide a matrix or binder for the pattern which is at leastwater swellable and preferably water soluble. Particularly preferreddispersions of phosphorescent materials are those that can provideprinted patterns characterized by a visible discontinuity betweenclosely packed pigment particles (or small numbers of them) of thepattern and the particles provide a pattern of discrete phosphorescentpigment particles dispersed in the materix material. Such a pattern isillustrated in FIG. 1A and such patterns are particularly preferredbecause they provide improved visibility of the pigment material withminimal obscuring of any information positioned below the pattern orbelow portions of the pattern.

The particle size of the phosphorescent pigment material is consideredto be an important factor in providing the preferred patterns anddispersions comprising phosphorescent pigments having a particle sizebetween about 2 to about 20 microns are suitable with those having aparticle size between about 5-10 microns being preferred. Also, thephosphorescent material to binder ratio and the wetability of thephosphorescent material in the binder material are factors in providingthe preferred pattern. For example, the phosphorescent material tobinder ratio should be high and the binder should not completely wet theparticle so that some air can remain associated with at least someportion of the pigment particle(s) so that an air interface may beprovided between those portions of the particle and the binder materialon coating or printing the pattern.

An especially suitable dispersion of phosphorescent material effectivelyused in the practice of this invention is as follows:

    ______________________________________                                        DISPERSION A                                                                                             Parts                                              ______________________________________                                        Binder (2.8% Solution of Rohm & Haas ASE-60).sup.1                                                         44.6                                             Pigment (Glo-Pigment Series 1000).sup.2                                                                    50.0                                             Water                         5.4                                             Ammonia to bring pH to 9.0                                                    ______________________________________                                         .sup.1 Rohm & Haas ASE-60 is a commercially available emulsion of             polyacrylic acid sold by Rohm & Haas, Inc.                                    .sup.2 Glo-Pigment Series 1000 is a commercially available phosphorescent     zinc sulfide sold by Conrad Hanoria, Inc.                                

The total solids of Dispersion A is about 41.25% and the dispersion isprinted preferably by silk screen techniques. On drying, a printedpattern of Dispersion A comprises about 40 parts of phosphorescentmaterial to about 1 part binder. A printed pattern having a highphosphorescent material to binder ratio, e.g., between about 20:1 toabout 50 or 60:1, is preferred because such ratios provide efficientvisibility of the pattern at low light levels.

As mentioned, the preferred card or document of I.D. cards of thepresent invention are diffusion transfer photographs which usuallycontain a photograph of the bearer together with photographicinformation relating to him or her. Diffusion transfer photographs areextensively used in I.D. card issuance systems and particularly in thosesystems known as "instant issuance" or "on-the-spot issuance" systems.In such systems, the intended bearer of the I.D. card presents himselfor herself at an I.D. card issuance station where appropriatephotographic and lamination materials and equipment are assembled. Adata card containing information relating to the bearer is prepared andthe bearer and data card are photographed simultaneously with a cameracontaining diffusion transfer photographic film. After processing, atransfer print (the card or document) is provided which comprises asuitable support carrying an image-bearing layer containing a photographof the bearer and a photographic reproduction of the information on thedata card. The image-bearing layer of the print is then laminated to aprotective plastic sheet material and most often, the transfer print islaminated between two plastic sheets to provide the finished I.D. card.

"Instant issuance" systems or "on-the-spot issuance" systems aredesigned to provide an I.D. card for the intended bearer at the issuancestation so that the I.D. card can be issued directly to the bearer forhis or her immediate use. Normally with such systems, an I.D. card canbe issued to the bearer within about fifteen minutes or less. This shortissuance time, however, can pose problems insofar as the security of theissued I.D. card is concerned especially with respect to the bondachieved between the image-bearing layer of the print and a plasticadhered to it. As mentioned, the bond between the image-bearing layerand the plastic should be a "security seal" to prevent or discouragealteration and the "security seal" should be established or beoperational before the card is actually issued to the bearer. Theachievement of a "security seal" on lamination, or as shortly thereafteras possible, can be complicated by the presence of any moisture on theimage-bearing layer as is the case with a freshly processed transferprint. With many adhesive systems, drying of the print is required inorder to achieve an effective "security seal" and this drying timeobviously interferes with the overall efficiency of such issuancesystems. There are, however, certain adhesive systems that do provide aneffective "security seal" between image-bearing layers of diffusiontransfer prints and a plastic sheet material. These adhesive systems aredescribed in the referenced Patents and Applications mentioned beforeand I.D. cards comprising a pattern of phosphorescent materialintegrated with such adhesives systems constitute the most preferredembodiments of this invention. These embodiments will be betterappreciated by reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

FIG. 3 is a plane view of a diffusion transfer print which isparticularly preferred as the card or document in the I.D. cards of thepresent invention. The print designated as 30 is obtained by exposingand processing Polaroid Type 108 Polacolor 2 Land film. Print 30comprises an image-receiving layer containing photographic informationrelating to the bearer. The image-receiving layer of such printscomprises a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and poly-4-vinyl pyridine.Covering the image-receiving layer is a stripping layer formed bycoating a solution of ammonia and a hydrophilic colloid (usually gumarabic) on the image-receiving layer. Details relating to thisovercoated stripping layer can be found in commonly assigned, copendingApplication Ser. No. 584,488 filed June 6, 1975. As those in the artknow, diffusion transfer prints normally comprise, in addition to theimage-receiving layer, neutralizing layers, timing layers and supportlayers, but these are not essential to the present invention and havenot been shown.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an I.D. assembly envelope used inlaminating a diffusion transfer print of FIG. 3 to provide I.D. cards ofthe present invention. The envelope designated as 23 comprises frontplastic sheet member 24 coupled to back plastic sheet member 26 alongedge 28. In constructing such an envelope, a front plastic sheet member24 was prepared by contacting one surface of a cellulose triacetatesheet material (5 mils) with a 13% by weight sodium hydroxide solutionfor about 10 seconds at a temperature of about 120° F. and then dryingthe sheet material. A moisture activatable adhesive comprising 3.2 gmsof Daratak 52L (55% solids), a low molecular weight polyvinyl acetatesold by W. R. Grace Company; 3.2 gms of Elvanol 90-50 (10% solids), a99% hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol sold by E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.,Inc.; 6.6 gms of methanol and 87.0 gms of water were applied to thehydrolyzed surface of the cellulose triacetate sheet material to providean adhesive coating when dry of about 0.25 mils thickness. UsingDispersion A, a pattern of phosphorescent material 16 was printed on themoisture activatable adhesive layer in the form of a series of linesshown in the Figure. The printing was done by using a gravure roll.

Back sheet member 26 comprised a commercially available semirigidpolyvinyl chloride containing a white pigment and having apressure-sensitive adhesive on one surface. Back sheet member 26 was ofapproximately the same dimensions as front sheet member 24 and had arelease sheet of polyethylene coated paper 32 over thepressure-sensitive layer leaving 1/8" to 1/4" of the pressure-sensitiveadhesive exposed along one edge.

Front member 24 and back member 26 were placed in superposition with theprinted pattern 16 facing polyethylene coated paper 32 and pressure wasapplied to seal the exposed portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesiveof back member 26 to the respective portion of front member 24 therebyproviding sealing edge 28.

In lamination operations involving the lamination of a transfer print ofFIG. 3 between the sheets of envelope 23, the moist image-bearingsurface of a freshly processed transfer print is positioned against theprinted pattern carrying adhesive layer of front sheet member 24. Thepolyethylene coated paper 32 (release sheet) is then stripped from thepressure-sensitive layer of back member 26, sheet members 24 and 26 andbrought into superposition and the assembly is passed through a pair ofpressure rollers for lamination to provide an assembled I.D. card of thetype shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 illustrates an I.D. assembly envelope for producing heatlaminated I.D. cards. The envelope designated as 33 comprises frontplastic sheet member 34 coupled to back plastic sheet member 36 alongedge 38. In constructing such an envelope, front plastic sheet member 34was prepared using a commercially available clear polyester sheet havinga layer of a heat-activatable adhesive comprising an ethylene-ethylacrylate copolymer coated on the surface. An aqueous acidic (2% byvolume) dispersion of 2:1 mixture polyvinyl alcohol: poly-4-vinylpyridine (total solids 7%) was coated on the heat-activatable adhesivelayer to provide a uniform coating when dry of about 0.8 mils thickness.The adhesive system of front sheet member 34 comprising the layer ofheat-activatable adhesive and the layer of the mixture of polyvinylalcohol and poly-4-vinyl pyridine provides an excellent "security seal"between the moist surface of a print and the sheet material onlamination. The pattern of phosphorescent material 16 was printed on thelayer of the polyvinyl alcohol/poly-4-vinyl pyridine mixture in themanner described in the discussion of FIG. 4.

Back sheet member 36 comprised the same commercially available clearpolyester sheet material, but the coating of polyvinylalcohol/poly-4-vinyl pyridine was not applied to the heat-activatableadhesive layer. Front sheet member 34 was placed in superposition withback sheet member 36 with the layer of polyvinyl alcohol, poly-4-vinylpyridine of member 34 facing the heat-activatable adhesive layer ofmember 36 and the members heat sealed together along an edge to providesealing edge 38.

A transfer print of FIG. 3 is heat laminated in the envelope of FIG. 5by separating the front and back members and positioning the moistinformation-bearing surface of a freshly processed print against theprinted pattern carried by the adhesive system of front member 34. Frontand back sheet members 34 and 36 are then brought into superposition andsufficient heat and pressure applied to the assembly in a platen pressor by heated rollers to provide an assembled I.D. card of the type shownin FIG. 6.

It should be mentioned that if the information-bearing surface of theprint is not moist, the layer of the mixture of polyvinyl alcohol andpoly-4-vinyl pyridine need not be employed to achieve a "security seal"on lamination. An effective "security seal" between a dry surface of adiffusion transfer print and a polyester sheet material can be achievedby the heat-activatable adhesive layer of ethylene-ethyl acrylatecopolymer alone. In such instances, the pattern of phosphorescentmaterial would be printed on the surface of the copolymer layer to bebonded to the dry surface of the print.

The I.D. card of FIG. 6 illustrates I.D. cards that can be obtained bylamination of transfer prints in envelopes of the type shown in FIGS. 4and 5. Each of the envelopes of the Figures has an adhesive systemcapable of providing a "security seal" and having a printed pattern of aphosphorescent material applied to such an adhesive system. As shown,the printed pattern comprises a pattern of alternating thin and thicklines, but patterns of letters, numbers or other designs or codes can beused. The particular design of the pattern employed is a factor that canimprove the degree of security of the verification feature of thisinvention particularly if it is a coded design or so complicated orintricate that reproduction of the design would be discouraged.Preferably, the pattern should extend into the area occupied by theimage-bearing surface so that some of the pattern is associated with thesurface.

The phosphorescent character of the material of the pattern is a majorfactor contributing to the improved security of I.D. cards of thepresent invention. As mentioned, the phosphorescent material emitsvisible radiation in light and continues to emit (or glow) when removedfrom the light. Accordingly, verification of phosphorescent pattern canbe readily established by exposing the card to light and removing theexposed card to darker surroundings. In daylight, for example,verification can be established by placing the I.D. card in a pocket,drawer or the like to view the glowing pattern. At night, verificationcan be established by shining a flashlight or headlight on the I.D. cardand then shutting off the light or placing the I.D. card in a darkerarea. Specialized devices such as ultraviolet lights are therefore notrequired to detect the presence of the phosphorescent material.Moreover, the pattern cannot be effectively reproduced by photographictechniques since the reproduction will not exhibit the requisitephosphorescent activity.

As mentioned before, many phosphors are commercially available and canemit different colors and continue to emit radiation for differentperiods of time after they are removed from ambient light. Accordingly,the selection of particular phosphors or combinations of phosphors toprovide predetermined characteristics is another factor that can beemployed in the present invention to discourage would-be-counterfeiters.

The integration of the novel verification feature of the presentinvention with adhesive systems providing "security seals", especiallythose providing "security seals" between moist prints and plasticsheets, provides I.D. cards having special advantages. As mentioned, the"security seal" is an anti-alteration capability designed to destroy orremove portions of an information-bearing surface when an attempt ismade to remove a plastic adhered to the surface. By integrating theprinted pattern of phosphorescent material with an adhesive providingsuch a seal, the pattern can cooperate with the seal to provide improvedsecurity characteristics. For example, the front sheet members of I.D.cards employing the envelopes of FIGS. 4 and 5 can be sealed to theinformation-bearing surface of the transfer print by way of a "securityseal". Under such circumstances, it would be very difficult to removesuch sealed front members from the print with the pattern ofphosphorescent material intact. Moreover, in the unlikely event that afront member is removed with the pattern intact, at least some portionsof the information-bearing surface of the print should be adhered to theadhesive of the front member. Attempts to remove these adhered portionsof the information-bearing surface could distort or destroy the patternmaking the sheet member unuseable for further applications.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pattern of phosphorescent material is visible,but is should be understood that the pattern can be obscured. One way ofobscuring such a pattern involves printing the pattern of phosphorescentmaterial on the adhesive layer, for example, in the form of a series ofnumbers or letters or the like. The phosphorescent pattern can then beobscured by printing another pattern of a non-phosphorescent pigment ofthe same color as the phosphorescent material about or around thepattern of phosphorescent material. Such an obscured pattern could takethe form of an opaque stripe appearing in the I.D. card with thephosphorescent pattern visible in the stripe when the I.D. card isremoved from the light.

From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the improved laminateddocuments of the present invention provide a distinctive and effectiveverification feature which can be integrated with the documents in arelatively simple, inexpensive and convenient fashion without extensivemodifications of existing techniques and equipment. Moreover, thefeature is sufficiently sophisticated to require specializedconsiderations and efforts on the part of a would-be-counterfeiter todefeat or duplicate it. Accordingly, the present invention presents asurprisingly effective solution to a need outstanding in the art; thatof continuing to provide laminated documents such as I.D. cards ofimproved integrity and security.

Various modifications of features presented in the above-descriptionwhich are offered for the purposes of illustrating the invention may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventiondefined in the claims. For example, an I.D. card is obviously thepreferred "laminated document" of the present invention, but the term"laminated document" also includes laminated birth certificates,laminated credit cards, laminated legal documents such as deeds, will,etc., laminated passports, laminated tickets, coupons or passes andsimilar documents. The installation of the novel verification featurewith such other documents will be apparent from the above description ofthe particularly preferred embodiments of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A laminated document comprising a plastic sheetmaterial bonded to an information-bearing document and a verificationpattern of phosphorescent material integrated with the laminatedelements.
 2. A laminated document of claim 1 where the pattern comprisesa matrix material which is water soluble.
 3. A laminated document ofclaim 1 where the pattern comprises a matrix material which is waterswellable.
 4. A laminated document of claim 1 where the phosphorescentmaterial is in the form of a printed pattern.
 5. A laminated document ofclaim 4 where the phosphorescent material has a particle size betweenabout 2 to about 20 microns.
 6. A laminated document of claim 4 wherethe phosphorescent material has a particle size between about 2 to about20 microns dispersed in a matrix material and the ratio ofphosphorescent material to matrix material is between about 20:1 toabout 60:1.
 7. A laminated document of claim 1 where said patterncomprises a phosphorescent zinc sulfide.
 8. A laminated document ofclaim 1 where the information-bearing surface of the document is bondedto the plastic sheet material.
 9. A laminated document of claim 8 wherethe phosphorescent material is in the form of a printed pattern and thepattern is integrated with a bond existing between said document andsaid plastic sheet.
 10. A laminated document of claim 9 where the bondexisting between the document and plastic sheet is a security seal. 11.A laminated document of claim 10 where the security seal between thedocument and plastic sheet exists between the information-bearingsurface of the document and the plastic sheet.
 12. A laminated documentof claim 11 where the document is a diffusion transfer print.
 13. AnI.D. card which comprises a diffusion transfer print as theinformation-bearing document of the I.D. card at least one surface ofthe print being bonded to a plastic sheet and a printed pattern of aphosphorescent material integrated with the bond existing between thedocument and the plastic sheet.
 14. An I.D. card of claim 13 where thepattern comprises a matrix material which is water swellable.
 15. AnI.D. card of claim 13 where the pattern comprises a matrix materialwhich is water soluble.
 16. An I.D. card of claim 13 where the bondexisting between the print and plastic sheet is a security seal.
 17. AnI.D. card of claim 13 where the phosphorescent material has a particlesize between about 2 to about 20 microns.
 18. An I.D. card of claim 17where the phosphorescent material has a particle size between about 2 toabout 20 microns dispersed in a matrix material and the ratio ofphosphorescent material to matrix material is between about 20:1 toabout 60:1.
 19. An I.D. card of claim 13 where said pattern comprises aphosphorescent zinc sulfide.
 20. An I.D. card of claim 16 where thesecurity seal between the print and plastic sheet exists between theinformation-bearing surface of the print and the plastic sheet.
 21. AnI.D. card of claim 20 where the plastic sheet comprises a sheet ofcellulose triacetate with a hydrolyzed surface said surface being bondedto the information-bearing surface of the print by an adhesive layercomprising a mixture of a low molecular weight polyvinyl acetate and ahydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol and where the pattern of phosphorescentmaterial is printed on that surface of said adhesive layer opposite saidsurface of the print
 22. An I.D. card of claim 20 where the plasticsheet comprises a polyester sheet material which is bonded to theinformation-bearing surface of the print by a layer comprising anethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer and where the pattern ofphosphorescent material is printed on the surface of the copolymer layeropposite said surface of the print.
 23. An I.D. card of claim 20 wherethe plastic sheet comprises a polyester sheet material which is bondedto the information-bearing surface of the print by an adhesive systemcomprising a layer of an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer coated on asurface of the polyester sheet material and a layer of a mixture of apolyvinyl alcohol and a polyvinyl pyridine coated on the copolymer layerand where the pattern of phosphorescent material is printed on the layerof the mixture of a polyvinyl alcohol and a polyvinyl pyridine.
 24. AnI.D. card which comprises a laminate including in order, a sheet ofcellulose triacetate having a hydrolyzed surface, an adhesive layercomprising a mixture of a low molecular weight polyvinyl acetate and ahydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol coated on the hydrolyzed surface, a patternof phophorescent material having a particle size between about 2 toabout 20 microns printed on said adhesive layer said pattern comprisinga matrix material which is water swellable or water soluble and adiffusion transfer print with the information-bearing surface of theprint bonded to said adhesive layer and the phosphorescent material. 25.An I.D. card which comprises a laminate including in order, a polyestersheet material, an adhesive layer comprising an ethylene-ethyl acrylatecopolymer, a pattern of a phosphorescent material having a particle sizebetween about 2 to about 20 microns printed on the adhesive layer saidpattern comprising a matrix material which is water swellable or watersoluble and a diffusion transfer print with the information-bearingsurface of the print bonded to the adhesive layer and the phosphorescentmaterial.
 26. An I.D. card which comprises a laminate including inorder, a polyester sheet material, an adhesive system comprising a layerof an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer coated on the polyester sheetmaterial and a layer of a mixture of a polyvinyl alcohol and a polyvinylpyridine coated on the copolymer layer, a pattern of a phophorescentmaterial having a particle size between about 2 to about 20 micronsprinted on the layer of the mixture said pattern comprising a matrixmaterial which is water swellable or water soluble and a diffusiontransfer print with the information-bearing surface of the print bondedto said adhesive system and the phosphorescent material.
 27. A laminateddocument of claim 1 wherein said plastic sheet material bonded to saidinformation-bearing document comprises an envelope of front and backplastic sheet members having approximately the same dimensions andwherein the information-bearing document is bonded therebetween suchthat the information-bearing surface of the document is bonded to saidfront plastic sheet member.
 28. An I.D. card of claim 13 wherein saidplastic sheet bonded to said print surface comprises the front sheetmember of an envelope comprising front and back plastic sheet membershaving approximately the same dimensions and wherein said diffusiontransfer print is bonded between the front and the front and back sheetmembers of said envelope.